A Mix of Characters
by Flatlander Jr
Summary: Highlander, Dilbert, Dreamcast, Star Trek: Voyager, Real Life. Sometimes weird things happen in the Ducrests' living room...


A MIX OF CHARACTERS

BY DANIELLE FRANCES DUCREST

Disclaimers: Dilbert is owned and created by Scott Davis. Highlander is owned by Davis/Panzer Productions, Gaumont Television, and Rysher Entertainment. Star Trek: Voyager is owned by Paramount. The Dreamcast Characters are owned by someone other than me. The cop with the gun and the mysterious man with the knife are mine. Janell and Frank Ducrest belong to themselves, and so do I. David belongs to himself, too, but does my every bidding (I wish!). No one paid me to write this. I don't think anyone would have, anyway. 

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Frank Ducrest and his kids, David and Danielle, walked through the front door. The tv and microwave were on, and Janell was fixing dinner. "Hi," she said as they walked in.

"Hi," they said. 

A little later they were sitting around the round table in the living room, watching Star Trek: Voyager. This episode was about Captain Janeway's ancestor, Shannon O'Donnel, in the year 2000. No one was paying attention to it, however. Danielle was daydreaming about Peter Wingfield, the actor who played Methos on Highlander: The Series, and the Highlander Fan Fiction story she had been reading less than an hour ago. David was dreaming about his new Dreamcast games. Frank was dreaming about the Dilbert comic he'd read that day, and Janell was dreaming about her most recent mystery novel. Then, for some strange reason, one thought entered their minds: _Man, I wish this was real… _

None of them were sure what happened next. A blinding light coming from the tv filled the room. When they could see again, they weren't sure they could trust their eyes. 

The scene on the tv had changed. It didn't show Shannon O'Donnel driving in her truck. Instead, the Dilbert characters were there. Dilbert walked up to the screen and knocked. A glass-like sound was his answer. Then he took a step forward. His leg appeared in the Ducrest's living room. Next came the rest of his body. "Hello." He said to the Ducrest's opened mouths and wide eyes. If they hadn't been seated, all of them would have fainted. 

The scene on the tv changed again. Now it showed Methos engaged in battle with Kristin in Highlander: The Series, ep. "Chivalry". When the Quickening was over, Methos and Duncan turned and looked at the Ducrests and Dilbert. Then they walked toward the screen and stepped through it. "Hello," Duncan said. 

"It looks like my adoring fans couldn't keep me away," Methos said, his eyes twinkling. 

"Your fans?" Duncan said. "It's my show, remember? It does say 'Highlander' in the title. You aren't a Highlander."

"Oh yeah? I have been many things in my long life."

While they bickered, the scene on the tv changed again. Now it showed several characters from David's Dreamcast games. They walked over to the screen and stepped through. Then they and the two Immortals were engaged in battle. Dilbert had made his way to the computer, and was busy buying stock against Wally. 

The scene on the tv changed one more time. A guy with a gun and another dark man with a knife that had a hooded face stepped through the tv into the now desolate living room because of certain sharp objects and super powers. The Ducrests had moved to a safe position in the next room. The guy with a gun, a cop, pointed his gun at the battling Dreamcast characters and Immortals and said, "Freeze!" Some of the Dreamcast characters looked at him and came towards him, while others headed toward the guy with a knife. Duncan and Methos tried to distract them, but to no avail. 

A conversation at the computer behind the Ducrests made Danielle look over there. Dogbert was perched on the top of the computer, having a conversation with Dilbert. "How did you get here?" Danielle asked him. 

"I have my sources," Dogbert said. 

Her attention went back to the living room. The Dreamcast characters had left via the television, and so had the men with the gun and the knife. Methos and Duncan looked behind them at the Ducrests. They had been watching the Dreamcast characters leave. Duncan stepped forward and gave them an apologetic look. "Sorry about the mess," he said. He reached into his long coat and took out his wallet. He handed two Ben Franklins to Frank. "I think that should cover the damages."

Frank looked down at the two hundred American dollars in his hand. "Thanks," he said, putting the money in his wallet. 

"Look, we've gotta go," Methos said. The scene on the television changed back to the field where Methos had fought Kristin. "Bye."

"Bye." Janell, Danielle, Frank, and David said. 

"Bye," Duncan said as he followed his "old" friend through the tv screen. The scene changed back to show Wally, Alice, and their boss at work. 

Dogbert and Dilbert appeared behind the Ducrests. "Excuse us," they said. 

"Bye," Dilbert said, walking through the screen. 

"Chow." Dogbert said before following Dilbert. 

The scene on the tv screen changed back to Star Trek: Voyager. The only evidence that the others had been here was the no longer familiar living room, the increasing bill on Internet time, and the two hundred bucks in Frank's wallet. The Ducrests looked at each other. Finally David broke the silence. "Well, we were going to move anyway."

Danielle looked annoyed, Janell sighed and began to laugh, and Frank pretended to bonk David on the head. Then all four of them began to laugh. When they had calmed down, Danielle said, "I wish Methos hadn't left." 

Janell, Frank, and David looked at her. "No way. Get that thought out of your head this instant, Danielle, or you may loose your head." Frank said, trying to be serious but failing because of the smile that formed in the corners of his mouth. 

Danielle moaned. "Dad," she complained. Everyone began to laugh again. 

"Come on," Janell said. "Let's go bother my mom." 

Author's Note: If you managed to get to the end of this story, I'm surprised. I wrote this the day before Christmas because at the time I was still thinking of good presents to give everyone. Fortunately, I didn't have to give this one to anyone as a present, but decided to put on the Internet, anyway. 


End file.
